Character Analysis: Macon, Sarah, and Others in a Story of Loss
Macon: A Portrait of Routine and Loss
Macon is the principal character. He is a tall, grey-eyed man with short hair and pale skin. He is an organized person who has his own routines and likes to use different systems to organize his house. He has always been a quiet and mysterious man. He was married to Sarah; they met at a party when they were 17 years old. He married after finishing college. Seven years later, Ethan was born, but when Ethan was 12, he was assassinated in a burger bar. This was one of the causes of their divorce. Macon writes guidebooks for those who are on business trips, and he tries to make them feel that they have never left their houses.
Sarah: A Study in Contrasts
Sarah has a completely different personality and way of thinking from Macon. She doesn’t need to have a system to run a house; she is changeable and disorganized. Sarah was Macon’s wife, but as they were very different, she decided to get divorced from him. At the end, she ended up missing him, but he decided to live with another woman.
Edward: The Aggressive Canine
Edward is Macon’s dog, small with very short legs. He is becoming more aggressive with people, so Macon decided to give the dog to Muriel, a dog trainer specializing in aggressive dogs, while he was in England.
Muriel: The Dog Trainer and Single Mother
Muriel is a thin young woman with frizzy black hair. She is a dog trainer specializing in aggressive dogs. She has one son, Alexander, who was born early and sick. The father of Alexander is Norman, but he left them because of Alexander’s illness, so she had to manage it all. Muriel has a sister called Claire. She was in love with Macon. He even went to live in her house.
Rose: The Devoted Sister
Rose is Macon’s sister. She had a high, shaky voice that sounded like an old lady. She was the youngest of the four Leary children. She had never left home because there had always been someone she had to take care of. She was quiet, serious, kind, and ran the house efficiently. Although her brothers weren’t nice to her, she always helped them. She was in love with Julian Edge, and they finally got married in the Leary’s garden.
Julian Edge: The Publisher and Suitor
Julian Edge is Macon’s publisher at Businessman’s Press. Macon publishes tourist guides for business trips, and Julian controls these publications. He has neat, dark hair, and he likes Rose, Macon’s sister. He gave her a little blue box with a diamond ring inside. Finally, Rose and Julian got married in the Leary’s garden.
Alexander: A Child of Challenges
Alexander was Muriel’s son. He was a small, white, sickly boy with short, thin hair and light blue eyes behind large, watery glasses. He was allergic to milk, fruit, eggs, and most vegetables. Alexander was born early, and he spent months in the hospital. Norman, his father, didn’t go near him and didn’t like to spend all the time in the hospital with the baby. So, when Alexander came back home, his father left.
Ethan: A Tragic Loss
Ethan was Macon and Sarah’s son, who died before the story begins. When he was only twelve years old, Ethan went to a summer camp in Virginia, and during the second night, he was murdered in a burger bar. This was one of the main causes of Macon and Sarah’s divorce.